Photo By Aleksandr Freutel | EL CENTRO, Calif. (July 19, 2023) Lt. Jacob Cummins, assigned to Training Air Wing...... read more read more
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CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Student Naval Aviators (SNA) and instructor pilots (IP) from the “Redhawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 21 and the “Golden Eagles” of VT-22 returned from Naval Air Field (NAF) El Centro three days early after completing strike and low altitude training in the T-45C Goshawk. The training detachment, based out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, arrived in mid-July prepared to battle the heat.
NAF El Centro is routinely utilized by Training Air Wing (TAW) 2 squadrons due to the availability of multiple instrumented bombing ranges in close proximity to the airfield and near-constant clear weather for flying.
During a typical training mission, a flight of aircraft could launch, proceed to the range and execute coordinated strikes on a ground target before returning to base in less than an hour. These quick training missions in combination with the clear skies of the Californian desert allows SNAs and their instructors to execute a high volume of training in a small window of time. Students regularly flew two training missions per day.
“NAF El Centro is the ideal location for the strike/low altitude training portion of the syllabus. The combination of terrain, weather and scored air-to-ground ranges is well suited to initial basic conventional weapons employment training as well as initial low altitude training,” said Lt. Col. Marc Couvillon, commanding officer VT-22. “The instructor pilots, students, support staff and maintenance of TAW-2 worked six days a week, in 115 plus degree heat, to train over 40 students in strike and produce 23 advanced-stage instructor pilot flight qualification upgrades. The execution of the detachment exceeded expectations and was complete three days ahead of schedule. The outstanding success we enjoyed on the July strike det. is a testament to the professionalism and innovation of the TAW-2, VT-21, and VT-22 team.”
Marine Capt. Cale Magnuson, a Naval Aviator and instructor pilot, led the detachment in El Centro as the officer-in-charge (OIC). The OIC is responsible for the overall coordination of training operations and accountability of TAW-2 personnel.
“My goal is to maximize the resources that we have. The availability of instructors, students, aircraft or even range time is continuously changing,” said Magnuson. “We work hard every day to get folks [SNAs] through the training as expeditiously and as safely as possible. With that being said, ORM (Operational Risk Management) and safety are a priority of my job.”
ORM is a tool taught to all Naval Aviators that enables individuals to identify, analyze and mitigate risk to the maximum extent possible in order to operate safely. With safety at the forefront of daily operations, Magnuson highlights the importance of producing the next generation of Naval Aviators.
“By providing a professional product, our pilots continue to be advocates for the peaceful order of things in the world just by the fact that people know they are there, and they are capable. There is a quantity aspect to that, and a quality aspect as well, and I think we are in the business of both.”
Training began early each day with the first flight briefs well before sunrise. With July temperatures in El Centro often reaching 115 degrees or higher, the SNAs and instructors leveraged the cooler temperatures of the morning to get the bulk of training done. The training syllabus’ high demands combined with the heat of the environment required Naval Aviators and SNAs to keep their bodies hydrated and conditioned to the highest standards. In addition, students are expected to be subject matter experts as they prepare for each flight academically.
“If you are not prepared for the heat like you are prepared for the actual conduct of a sortie…then you are already behind the power curve,” said Magnuson. "Just like the students wouldn’t show up to a brief without having done their due diligence on what they are going to fly for the day, they wouldn’t show up to a brief without their body in a good fighting condition ready to fly. We are all expected to be consummate professionals in how we prepare for a flight academically and how we prepare our bodies for the heat.”
Lt. j.g. Fredrick Sherenco is an SNA assigned to VT-22. While in El Centro, Sherenco completed multiple syllabus flight events as he continues to pursue earning his Wings of Gold. This detachment was his first experience flying in El Centro.
“It [training] started as really hot, challenging mentally, the heat was a beast in itself,” said Sherenco “A lot got thrown at us and it has been awesome to take it head on. I feel really fortunate. Training means a lot and it’s definitely an opportunity that is not being taken lightly. Just hard work and a lot of fun too. We take it one day at a time.”
VT-21 and VT-22 are two of the premier intermediate and advanced flight training squadrons assigned to the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). Both squadrons fly the T-45C Goshawk. The CNATRA mission is to train, mentor, and deliver the highest quality Naval Aviators who prevail in competition, crisis, and conflict.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2023 11:36 |
| Story ID: | 450924 |
| Location: | CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 873 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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